Tag Archives: legislation

ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership (ASAE and The Center) President and CEO John Graham took time this week to share his perspective on the urgent issues facing the United States, President-elect Obama and the U.S. Congress as we move into 2009. The ASAE white paper Safeguarding the Vitality of America’s Associations outlines four keys issues of critical importance; the Economic Recovery Package, Health Care Reform, Tax Reform, and Scrutiny of Nonprofit Governance.

As Graham makes clear in his letter, these are not the only issues of importance to the association community, although it’s easy to understand why each of them rises to the top. John Graham writes, “Change is more than a campaign slogan these days. President Obama and the newly seated 111th Congress face a collection of challenges unlike any in American history.”

The critical take-away for associations leaders is that our collective efforts must be renewed and redoubled to be certain we are heard both by a new Presidential Administration and a Congress likely to be preoccupied with prioritizing policy issues and making tough economic choices. “Entering this extremely complex economic dilemma will be hundreds of new administration appointees and nearly 60 new members of Congress…”, Graham writes. We all know there’s an opportunity to make “a real and lasting impact” on many of these key issues. Are America’s Associations up to the challenge? Those who know me—already know how I’m betting. What about you?